U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Disclaimer: The accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the maps and illustrations on this website cannot be guaranteed; such information does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Swiss Confederation.

A selection of websites explaining how Switzerland is structured and how it functions, providing you with the information you will need to form an opinion and exercise your political rights from overseas

The FDFA awards mandates to individuals or organisations with specialist expertise for the implementation of specific projects or activities. Mandates and individual institutional consulting mandates are put out for public tender in accordance with the legal requirements

Information on the role of the merchant fleet that the FDFA oversees through the Swiss Maritime Navigation Office, in Basel; registration authority for sea-going yachts and small craft that are used on rivers outside the country and in coastal waters

Security Policy

Swiss and international security policy have grown more complex in recent years. A major reason for this is the changed threat situation that emerged after the end of the Cold War, particularly in the early 1990s. The risk of armed conflict between states has diminished, while new and different risks have come to the fore. In its security policy, Switzerland focuses on cooperation with international organisations, such as the EU or NATO, as well as on disarmament and non-proliferation.

Switzerland contributes to global security through its cooperation with international organisations and engagement in security policy partnerships. It attaches particular importance to respect for international law. A commitment to disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as to conventional arms control is another main focus of Swiss security and foreign policy.

Security risks have changed over the past 25 years. International security is no longer threatened by wars between two states, but rather by terrorism, attacks in cyberspace, crime, the illegal arms trade, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the abuse of new technologies or by risks stemming from an uneven distribution of wealth. All these threat scenarios are transnational in nature.

The most significant events that have brought about the changed threat situation are the end of the Cold War, the higher level of global interconnectedness and economic integration.

Growing security risks include transnational threats rather than wars with armed forces; the misuse of cyberspace, terrorism, the arms trade, weapons of mass destruction, greater disparity between rich and poor, migration and dependence on fossil fuels